Page 81 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 81
The monastery is situated on the My visit made the monks more real
slopes of the Knockmealdown Mount- for me. They are not distant, unattain-
ains. This provides the solitude and able individuals but men like us who
tranquility that characterises Cister- have decided to dedicate their lives to
cian monasteries. Guests can think God. During my stay I could see the
and pray while strolling around the attraction of the Cistercian way of life.
nearby hills away from the tensions But while immensely impressed and
and worries of modern life. In the enjoying my visit, I feel the sacrifices
monastery itself the atmosphere of the monks make would be beyond me.
silence and prayer enables the visitors It is hoped that in the coming years
to nourish their faith and grow in the this excursion will become an annual
live of Christ. feature in the school calendar. I for
For the monks, prayer is the most one would encourage everyone to
important activity of the day. They accept the chance of experiencing the
gather in the church eight times a day alternative lifestyle of the monks.
to praise and worship God. Night is
not yet over when they rise at 4.0 am Paul Higgins (S.5)
for vigil. In the darkness of early
morning the monks wait for the com-
ing of Christ and pray for us who are
in the darkness of temptation. The COVENTRY MYSTERY
Eucharist is celebrated with solemnity PLAYS
each day. Their day of prayer closes
with Compline before they retire to A recent production in the Pro-Cath-
rest, and traditionally ends with the edral of a play of the Passion of Our
_Salve Regina. Lord was claimed as 'the first of its
While there is no obligation on kind in Dublin', according to The Irish
visitors to attend the different choral Times. Not quite so, a relative of long
hours, the solemnity of the chant pro- memory tells me: many years ago the
vides an ideal background to attempts old Theatre Royal performed such a
to pray. During our stay we met two play at a similar time in Lent. It is
monks: Fr Kevin and Br Donal. Fr
Kevin was close to our conventional
idea of a monk. He believed that we
were living in a society whose lifestyles
had obscured the simpler realities of
life. In Patrick Kavanagh's words: the
monastic life had enabled him to
appreciate 'the newness that was in
every stale thing: Even in the most ord-
inary objects, Fr Kevin could see the
wonder and beauty of God.
Br Donal was a young Dubliner not
yet ten years in the monastery. He
stressed that his dedication and
devotion to God grew gradually, and
could develop more easily in the mon-
astic environment. As chief cantor, he
admitted that the quality of the sing-
ing might leave something to be de-
sired. But he added that a good voice
was not necessary to appreciate the The Cross is raised.
Office.
79
slopes of the Knockmealdown Mount- for me. They are not distant, unattain-
ains. This provides the solitude and able individuals but men like us who
tranquility that characterises Cister- have decided to dedicate their lives to
cian monasteries. Guests can think God. During my stay I could see the
and pray while strolling around the attraction of the Cistercian way of life.
nearby hills away from the tensions But while immensely impressed and
and worries of modern life. In the enjoying my visit, I feel the sacrifices
monastery itself the atmosphere of the monks make would be beyond me.
silence and prayer enables the visitors It is hoped that in the coming years
to nourish their faith and grow in the this excursion will become an annual
live of Christ. feature in the school calendar. I for
For the monks, prayer is the most one would encourage everyone to
important activity of the day. They accept the chance of experiencing the
gather in the church eight times a day alternative lifestyle of the monks.
to praise and worship God. Night is
not yet over when they rise at 4.0 am Paul Higgins (S.5)
for vigil. In the darkness of early
morning the monks wait for the com-
ing of Christ and pray for us who are
in the darkness of temptation. The COVENTRY MYSTERY
Eucharist is celebrated with solemnity PLAYS
each day. Their day of prayer closes
with Compline before they retire to A recent production in the Pro-Cath-
rest, and traditionally ends with the edral of a play of the Passion of Our
_Salve Regina. Lord was claimed as 'the first of its
While there is no obligation on kind in Dublin', according to The Irish
visitors to attend the different choral Times. Not quite so, a relative of long
hours, the solemnity of the chant pro- memory tells me: many years ago the
vides an ideal background to attempts old Theatre Royal performed such a
to pray. During our stay we met two play at a similar time in Lent. It is
monks: Fr Kevin and Br Donal. Fr
Kevin was close to our conventional
idea of a monk. He believed that we
were living in a society whose lifestyles
had obscured the simpler realities of
life. In Patrick Kavanagh's words: the
monastic life had enabled him to
appreciate 'the newness that was in
every stale thing: Even in the most ord-
inary objects, Fr Kevin could see the
wonder and beauty of God.
Br Donal was a young Dubliner not
yet ten years in the monastery. He
stressed that his dedication and
devotion to God grew gradually, and
could develop more easily in the mon-
astic environment. As chief cantor, he
admitted that the quality of the sing-
ing might leave something to be de-
sired. But he added that a good voice
was not necessary to appreciate the The Cross is raised.
Office.
79
